Sleep With Your Pillow, Not Your Cell Phone

Do you sleep with your cell phone on and nearby?  If so, you have plenty of company.  A new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project indicates that 65% of adults sleep with their phones.  The number skyrockets for younger adults, as 90% of those between 18 and 29 have their phones by the bedside.

Technology is a wonderful thing.  Without it, you wouldn’t even be reading these words!  However, 24/7 access is not always a good thing, particularly when it encroaches on something as important as sleep.  More and more people are so connected that they wake up in the middle of the night not for a drink of water or a trip to the bathroom, but rather to text, email, or Twitter.  Fact is, any interruption in your sleep is a problem.  While some, like the bathroom break, are often normal, taking the time to wake your brain enough to compose an email or text is not a good thing.  Additionally, taking the time to read those middle-of-the-night emails could introduce worries and problems into a time when you should be relaxed.

So, what’s the answer?  It’s easy — unless you MUST be available in the middle of the night (if you’re .. say .. a doctor) then leave the phone in another room.  Additionally, if your phone makes noises when emails or texts arrive, turn the sounds off or (egad!) turn the phone off altogether.

Chances are, anything that’s being emailed to you at 4 a.m. can wait until the morning for a response.